Washington Clinical Laboratory Initiative: a vision for collaboration and strategic planning for an integrated laboratory system.

This article addresses the importance of public health, hospital, and clinical laboratories in the role of patient care, disease prevention, and surveillance. It also focuses on the coordination and planning that needs to take place between these institutions in order to develop a more cost-effective and responsive laboratory delivery system. The Washington Clinical Laboratory Initiative is an innovative state initiative illustrating that coordinated and integrated strategic planning of public and private sector laboratories can be accomplished within a state. It also has increased interaction, collaboration, and communication between health practitioners, health plans, hospitals, laboratories, government agencies, and academicians. This accomplishment has enabled the establishment of public policy concerning laboratory reimbursement and development of standards of laboratory practice.